PhD in Environmental Sciences - 90 hours

This degree will prepare you for careers in postsecondary education, where research is among the professional expectations. It will also prepare you for careers in scientific research in the public and private sectors. Unique to this degree is its interdisciplinary focus. Your program will originate in a major discipline, complemented by course work from other scientific disciplines. Your degree will culminate in a dissertation that will draw from more than one discipline.

Course work, minimum of 90 hours, distributed as follows:

BIOLOGY 656 - (3 hrs) Community and Ecosystem Ecology.

Principles and applications of ecosystem ecology. This course will provide students with an understanding of concepts in modern ecosystem ecology and with an in-depth analysis of ecosystem components, processes and factors that control them. Prerequisite: BIO 216 or the equivalent, or permission of the instructor.

BIOLOGY 657 - (3 hrs) Multivariate Analysis of Environmental Data

Introduction to multivariate statistical techniques and technological tools necessary to evaluate the literature and to carry out original research in the environmental sciences. Prerequisite: BIO 448 or BIO 548 or the equivalent, or permission of the instructor.

CHEMISTRY 626 - (3 hrs) Advanced Analytical Chem.

A survey of the development and implementation of modern analytical methods in chemistry. Topics include contemporary research methods such as chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance, and vibrational spectroscopy.

CHEMISTRY 627 - (3 hrs) Survey Modern Analytical ChemIstry

Survey of modern analytical chemistry. Topics include research and applications of modern analytical techniques, particularly as they pertain to the study of environmentally relevant systems. The course is intended as an adjunct to CHEM 626.

GEOLOGY 660 - (3 hrs)Seminar in Advanced Hydrogeology.

Seminar in Advanced Hydrogeology. Seminar in advanced and contemporary topics in groundwater geology, such as pump and slug test analyses, analytic or numerical flow and transport computer modeling, wellhead protection policy, current groundwater resource and water quality research, and groundwater remediation.

GEOLOGY 670 - (3 hrs) Seminar in Environmental Geochemistry.

Seminar in Environmental Geochemistry. Seminar in advanced and contemporary topics in aqueous geochemistry such as geochemical cycling with focus on the role of sediments, soils, freshwater streams and lakes, and oceans as reservoirs for chemical compounds, including natural and man-made contaminants.

ID 705 - (3 hrs) Research Colloquium.

Doctoral candidates will present dissertation proposals for study and analysis. Related issues in research will be considered. A total of 3 hours of credit must be earned, but departments may require a total of 3 hours of credit. Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson. Open only to doctoral students.

SCIENCE 790 - (3 hrs) Internship in Science Education.

Supervised experience in instruction of science courses. Prerequisite: permission of the department chairperson. A total of 4 hours of credit may be earned.

DISSERTATION 799 - (10 hrs) Doctor's Dissertation.

A total of 24 hours of credit may be earned. Must be taken for a minimum of 10 hours of credit. Must also be taken for 3 hours of credit each academic semester after candidacy and enrollment in the minimum required by the department if not registering for a course or courses until the final copy of the dissertation is deposited in the Graduate School. A doctoral candidate in an externally accredited program that requires an internship experience is exempt from continuous enrollment while registered for internship credit

You will select 26 credit hours of science course work in one of the following home department fields: